The Night of Scottish Flavor

The Ayrshire Fiddle Orchestra Concert

The Ayrshire Fiddle Orchestra was founded in August 1982 by Wallace and Lex Galbraith, who are both string instrument tutors in Ayrshire in South West Scotland, with the aim of encouraging and developing Scots Fiddle Music among local young musicians many of whom were, or had been their pupils.

The Orchestra has steadily matured since those early beginnings and now has 130 members - violinists, cellists, bass players, accordionists and percussionists from 10 to 18 years old. The eminent Scots fiddler, and former member of the orchestra, Alistair McCulloch is now Musical Director of the AFO. Another former member, Blair Parham joins him as part of the musical team.

Apart from two major concerts in Ayr at Christmas and midsummer, the Orchestra perform regularly throughout South Ayrshire and the West of Scotland, giving Charity concerts and providing musical entertainment at a wide range of corporate and civic events.

International Tours have become a regular feature of the Orchestra's activities with the dual benefit of taking their particular brand of fiddle playing to a wider audience and introducing the players to different cultures and customs. France, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Holland, Scandinavia, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and America –including the White House! – have resounded to their rhythmic playing over the past 15 Tours.

Program

Opening Fanfare from our Solo Bagpiper

Jigs  -  a rhythmic  selection of jigs starting with Maid on the Green

Slow Air  -  Lament for the 1st Generation  -  featuring our Leader on  Solo Fiddle

Medley  -     Queen’s Welcome to Invercauld  -        March,  Strathspey and Reel

Slow Air   -  Dawn  -  a selection of Spanish Albarados  with solo  whistle

Dance  -  The Highland Fling  -  Our Highland Dancer accompanied by the Bagpipes

Jigs  -  Kenny Gillies - some Bagpipe Jigs arranged for the Orchestra and our Bagpiper

Reels  -   Struy Lodge   a lively set of Scottish Reels

Air  -  Our own version of a Chinese Melody

INTERVAL

Fanfare from our Bagpiper

Hornpipes  and Reels  -   Alexander’s Hornpipe and Willafjord  -  A selection of  Hornpipes  leading  into some lively reels from the Shetland Islands

Slow Air  -  The Pearl  -  a haunting melody featuring a Cello Solo

The Burns Violin  -  some of Robert Burns’  songs played on the instrument used by the Poet in 1784

Antin Mikko  -  Up tempo reels from Finland

Mazurka  -  Michael’s Mazurka  -  a melancholy tune from the Shetland Isles

Dance  -  The Irish Session Tunes  -    some spectacular dancing featuring our Highland Dancer  with Jigs and Reels from Ireland

Slow Air  -  The Skye Boat Song  -  One of Scotland’s best known tunes featuring our Bagpiper

Reels  -   The Eightsome Reels  -  some fast, furious fiddling from the Orchestra!

Final Song  -  Auld Land Syne  -  please join us by singing Robert Burns’ words known
throughout the world